4 gang 1 way switch

[tim888]

Hello, I just moved into a new ( new to me) house. I won’t bore you with the whole back story, but this is what I’m looking at, something is obviously wrong, which I have now made worse, but I don’t want to phone a qualified electrician for this one little job if I can avoid it.
Can someone tell me how this is supposed to be wired?
I would very much appreciate it!

 

[blup]

Does each switch switch an independent light. Where are the neutrals?

 

[EFLImpudence]

What is the problem?

You seem to have an extra wire which prevents the connections being obvious.



Where is this wire terminated?

 

[robinbanks]

Are these the pictures from the moment you pulled the switches away from the wall and, before even touching any terminal with a screwdriver, you photoed the existing setup?

Or are they the pictures from after you disconnected everything then replaced all the wires back in what you thought was the right place, but apparently isn't because the behaviour is now wonky?

Did it all work perfectly Before?

What is that wonky behaviour now? Do you have some lights jammed on? some that won't illuminate? Does flipping a switch cause a breaker to trip out in the consumer unit?

Tell us as much detail as you can. If the photos are from only before or only after, have you got any photos of the other state?

 

[tim888]

Sorry for the lack of context. There was a 4 gang dimmer connected, but a few lights didn’t work at all, and none of the lights were actually dimmable anyway!!
Long story short, the dimmer was a recent job attempted by previous owner. The original switch was still in a drawer, so I attempted so change back like for like, but I obviously went wrong somewhere because when I went to put the trip switch back on it wouldn’t let me. I spent the evening trying to figure it out, and thought I had succeeded, only to discover that three switches worked perfectly, as long as the last one was in the on position, like a master switch.
Today I thought that would be easy enough to sort out, but it wasn’t, I’ve just ended up confusing myself and I can’t remember what configuration I started with this morning!

 

[tim888]

 

[tim888]

Does each switch switch an independent light. Where are the neutrals?

Yes, 4 independent lights. Good question about the neutrals…

 

[tim888]

I believe that the 4 independent lights worked before the dimmer was added.

Since all my messing I now can’t switch the trip back on.

There are 6 wires and 3 pigtails. No colour coding or labelling of any kind.

All photos are the current state of affairs.

 

[blup]

They’re daisy chained but if they now work, they work

 

[morqthana]

The problem is that from that photo nothing can be deduced about what might be wrong.

IF the permanent live to and from the switch is as I've highlighted with red dashes

then what we'd be looking at would be a perfectly functional 4G switch with 4 outgoing switched lives.

If you disconnect one of the grey-sheathed wires I've highlighted, will the trip switch then turn on?


Can you post a photo of the back of the dimmer switch?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Since all my messing I now can’t switch the trip back on.

No wrong wiring at this switch would cause that.

 

[333rocky333]

I thought that unless one of them double insulated is an actual Neutral and was unused

 

[tim888]

 

[Ragnar_AT]

You need to figure out which wire is the incoming permanent live. I‘d probably do that by putting each grey single into its own choc block, turning the electric on and measuring between each wire and earth. The one that gives you 230 V-ish is the one you need. Connect it to one of the COM terminals and link the others with the pigtails. Then turn back off and connect one of the other grey wires to one of the switches, turn on and see if one of the lights works. If not, put the wire back into a choc block and try the next one.

Most likely four wires are switched lives going to each light and one feeds another switch. That one needs to go in with the pigtails.

 

[Murdochcat]

Where are the neutrals?

At the light fittings